The Centrepoint
The Centrepoint (Chinese: 先得坊）is a shopping mall in Singapore which opened in 1983 as Centrepoint Shopping Centre (or just Centrepoint) until its renaming in 2006 as The Centrepoint. The mall has anchor tenants which include Robinsons, Marks & Spencer, The Dairy Farm Group (7-Eleven, Cold Storage, Guardian Pharmacy, Photo Finish) and clothing retailer Gap. The Centrepoint is managed by Frasers Centrepoint Limited which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fraser & Neave. It has six storeys and two basements, which on the first basement to the fifth floor are retail and food and beverage outlets, the sixth floor a carpark and offices / education centre. There are two carparks in the building, one at basement two and another on levels 4, 5 and 6. The Centrepoint has apartments at the back of the building. History Through the decades, the eight-storey complex was home to many different tenants, including Teochew City Seafood Restaurant, Cold Storage, Marks and Spencer, TianPo Jewellery, and Metro. Times Centrepoint was one of Singapore's biggest bookstores, at 8,000 sq ft when it opened in 1983. The mall underwent two major makeovers. The first was in 1991 and cost $4 million. The Centrepoint's management committee at the time carried out a survey to find out what customers wanted, and top on the wish list was better toilets. The toilets were then fitted with automatic flushing systems. Renovation works were carried out at night to minimise disruption to business. It underwent an ambitious revamp in 2002, expanding across three floors and housed a Magnolia Snack Bar. But the bookstore later downsized again. In 2005, Fraser & Neave announced that the mall will be going under a major revamp, the first since its opening. The revamp included a six-storey extension with two basements which was previously a sidewalk. The second basement to the third floor will be for food and beverage and shops and the fourth to sixth floors an extension of Robinsons. The building has been completed in December 2006 with a Gap on the second floor, as well as an Esprit store on the third floor. The Centrepoint bagged awards for its grand Christmas decorations over the years, including a Guinness World Record for the "Tallest Chocolate Sculpture" in December 2008. It also set a new Singapore record for "Tallest Christmas Tree made of Cupcakes" on Nov 13, 2009, and in the same year, bagged a silver in the Orchard Road Best Dressed Building competition organised by the Orchard Road Business Association. 2010s The second major revamp, in 2015, was reported to cost $50 million. The Straits Times reported that this second major makeover included the widening of its Orchard Road entrance and a new drop-off and pick-up point on level one to make it easier for families with children and the elderly. Despite the mall's second major revamp, its anchor tenant Metro's decision to leave The Centrepoint may spell more woes for the property as it continues to compete with larger and newer malls in the Somerset precinct. As Metro Department store Metro will also close down on 15 September, after five years as an anchor tenant, it was not doing well, leaving it with other two department stores at Paragon and Causeway Point. In addition, Times Bookstores is moving out of Centrepoint too. The low traffic in the mall may have decided all to leave, together with Crystal Jade Kitchen. Decathlon will replace Metro in The CentrePoint on 2020, and it will be the first in the Orchard Road's shopping district. The spokesman said that the store aims to offer an "immersive and activity-based concept" to meet the needs of the new generation of tech-savvy consumers. It will feature virtual simulations and augmented reality components, which will allow shoppers to try out products in an environment that simulates real-life conditions. Decathlon will also open a new click-and-collect store at Waterway Point. Customers can order their products online and collect them at Waterway Point within a few hours. This outlet will also carry a small range of products for direct sale. Decathlon Singapore's managing director Nils Swolkien said the Decathlon outlet at The Centrepoint will host regular active lifestyle events such as yoga and zumba classes. Decathlon will also collaborate with various sports agencies, academies and experts to hold regular sports demonstrations, interactions, and talks within the mall. Frasers Property Singapore's senior executive vice-president, head of retail and commercial Low Chee Wah said: "Frasers Property Singapore has proactively watched the evolving shopper needs and technology advancements that are impacting the retail environment, which is informing how we are shaping our retail strategy in the long run." He added that his company would be introducing more experiential and lifestyle concepts to its malls. Times Bookstores But Times Bookstores will close its branch at The Centrepoint in September after more than three decades. The branch's impending closure comes even as many bookstores have closed across Singapore over the years, such as Kinokuniya's Liang Court outlet in April, Popular's Thomson Plaza outlet in June and MPH's two outlets at Raffles City and Parkway Parade in July and September. Accessibility The Centrepoint can be accessible from Orchard Road where vehicles can enter the carpark through a side road. Somerset is located opposite the shopping mall. References External links * Brief description of The Centrepoint Category:Shopping malls in Singapore Category:Shopping malls established in 1983 Category:Orchard Road Category:Orchard, Singapore